And we’re off on another Saturday Night Cheeseburger adventure. It’s spitting snow but at least the streets are pretty clear. I can not wait for spring to be sprung!

And here we are, as I’ve noted before, there’s no sign hanging on the restaurant itself...

It’s out here hanging near Glen Avenue. But look, the word, “Lariat” is all burned out. Which is causing a Syd Barrett flashback!

Last year the front doors weren’t working due to an auto accident (and yes, alcohol was involved) and we had to enter through the side door, but this year they’re fully functional, so let’s go inside and get this SNC episode started!

There’s plenty of seats at the colorful bar, since it’s getting close to closing time, so let’s grab a stool and settle in.

Matt the friendly bartender happily serves up a bottle of Budweiser. Matt not only bartends here, he also owns Reliable Carpet Cleaning, which we read about when we were at City Heat.

Here’s the view of the lit up bottles from my perch at the bar.

This is the view straight ahead, look real closely for an obligatory bar mirror shot. And yes, it was intentional and very well thought out, please and thank you.

Here’s the taps, only one has changed, click here to look at last year’s selection.

A long shot of the bar, there’s some people down there, let’s go and say hi.

Here’s Shaina and Terry, who was bartending last year when we came here. He remembered my name, which amazed me because it’s been a year since that post, that’s the sign of a great bartender!

Jessica was enjoying a beer at the bar and it turns out that she’s Matt’s girlfriend. Now we know!

Wooden tables line the front windows opposite the bar.

There’s the dining room, which is one of my favorite dining rooms in Peoria because...

I love the rustic feel in here. The wooden ceiling is a big part of that feeling.

Okay, I think it’s about time for the food to start rolling out...back to the bar!

Nothing better than coming back to the bar with the first course waiting for you! I started out with a crock of the French Onion soup. They’re known for their French Onion soup and it’s amazing. Savory and sweet all at the same time.

It’s a Bee Gees moment here at MBIP as Matt brings out the main course!

I got the ribeye steak and it looks amazing as it sizzles on the plate in a puddle of melted butter.

For the side dish I got the Au Gratin potatoes. I got them last year and they were so tasty!

The steak is so good, it lives up to the great reputation the Lariat has built up over the years.

The au gratin potatoes are just as good as I remember them, a bowlful of gooey goodness!

After dinner, Russ came out to say hi. We met Russ a few weeks ago at City Heat and it was good to see him again!

Here’s dessert, we’ll see you all tomorrow!

My Meal

I got the ribeye steak and a side order of au gratin potatoes. The Lariat has a great reputation for serving up some of the best steaks in town and this steak certainly lived up to that reputation. It arrived on a hot plate sizzling in a pool of melted butter. It was cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth. Very tender, juicy and tasty. The au gratin potatoes were unbelievable and the perfect thing to savor on a cold winter night.

There’s seven cuts of steak to sample at The Lariat, including: a T-Bone steak, Filet Mignon, New York Strip Steak and Steak Kabob which is a skewer of chunks of steak along with grilled peppers, onions and mushrooms served on a bed of rice. They also offer up seafood, pasta and they’re known as having one of the best cuts of Prime Rib in town. And the cheeseburger’s not too shabby either!

SNC Rating

Three and a half Galloping Gourmets, fantastic food at The Lariat, a Peoria landmark for over eight decades.